Economics of Bottled Water Part 2

Many companies such as Dasani and Aquafina are advertising their bottled water when it is just filtered tap water. A lot of energy and supplies are needed to make the plastic bottles. Consumers like to hear that the water that they are drinking is from glaciers and natural springs but most of the time the water they are drinking comes from the tap. Two liters of water are needed to produce one liter of bottled water. Petroleum is also used to make the plastic bottles which makes them easier to break down and be recycled. However as one would guess, a numerous amount of plastic bottles usually make its way to landfills. Also, plastic bottles are made for one-time use only because bacteria can go into the water after the first usage and when the plastic breaks downs, toxic chemicals can contaminate the water.

One billion people around the world have no access to safe water. So is buying water bottles an indulgence or is it a necessity? Around fifteen billion dollars was spent on water bottles in 2006, which was more than what people spent on ipods or movie tickets. In a week approximately one billion bottles are being moved around America. Meanwhile, one out of six people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. The solution is that if the people who are able to survive without bottled water are able to stop purchasing them, more bottled water would be available for people in third world countries. It is very interesting to see that so many people say they need bottled water, yet it is nothing but an indulgence.